Swimming appliance.



L. MARICICH.

SWIMMING APPLIANCE.

- APPLICATION FILED'JYAN- 9. 1917.

Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

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LAZO MABIGICI-I, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SWIMMING APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 3, 1917..

Application filed January 9, 1917. Serial No. 141,406.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Law MARIOICH, a subject of the King of Servia,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Swimming Appliances, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to swimming appliances characterized by a bodyharness carrying a propelling means to assist the swimming movementthrough the water.

The invention has for its object to provide a novel and improvedappliance of the kind stated, and which is so attached to the body thatthe swimmers arms and legs are left perfectly free.

With the object stated in view, the invention consists in a novelcombination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described andclaimed, and in order that the same may be better understood, referenceis had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one section of the device,

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the other section, and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a fragment of each section, asassembled.

Referring specifically to the drawing, 5 denotes an ordinary screw orother type of propeller carried by a shaft 6 provided with a bevel gear7 which is in mesh with-a bevel gear 8 provided with a sprocket wheel 9connected by a chain 10 to a sprocket wheel 11 fast on a crank shaft 12fitted with foot pedals 13. The propeller is therefore drlven when thecrank shaft is turned, the swimmer operating the said shaft by engagingthe pedals with the feet in the same manner in which a bicycle ispropelled.

The crank shaft 12 is carried by a frame composed of two tubes or rods14 set closely together and converging into a single tube or rod 15. theformer having a suitable bearing for the crank shaft. The extremity ofthe tube 15 carries a spindle 16 supporting the bevel gear 8 and thesprocket wheel 9. The tube 15 also carries a tightener 17 for the chain10. The propeller shaft 6 is supported by the tube 15.

The body harness which supports the hereinbefore described propeller andits actuating means comprises the following parts:

At 18 is shown a seat which may be stamped out of sheet metal, and isshaped similar to a bicycle seat. At one end of this seat is anoutstanding abdominal plate 19 hinged to the seat as shown at 20, and tothe other end of the seat is hinged, as shown at 21, a back plate 22.The outer end of the back plate 22 has two oppositely extending sideprojections 23 to each of which is loosely connected a coupling plate24: for attachment of shoulder straps 25, and waist-encircling straps26. The shoulder straps 25 connect at the front with tabs 27 carried bythe outer end of the plate 19, the connection being an adjustable one bymeans of buckles 28. The waist straps are also made adjustable bybuckles 29 and their ends are provided with suitable means forconnection with the plate 19, the same being hooks 30 which areengageable with slots 31 in the said plate located adjacent to the sideedges thereof.

From the seat 18 depend two laterally spaced tubular bars 32 connectedby cross braces 33. The outer end of each bar is open and split inwardfrom said end as shown at 34;, and also has a slot 35 diametricallyopposite the split. The extremity of each bar is reinforced by aclamping ring 36.

The spacing of the bars 32 conforms to the spacing of the rods 14 sothat the latter may be passed thereinto, they being held in the bars bydrawing the split ends together by means of screws 37. The portions ofthe rods which telescope in the bars carry screws 38 or similarlaterally projecting parts seating in the slots 35, it being understoodthat said screws must be removed before the rods can be inserted intothe bars. The parts 38 prevent loss of the propelling mechanism if theconnection between the same and the bars 32 should be broken in acollision or other accident.

I claim 1. A. swimming appliance comprising a seat, abdominal and backplates hinged respectively to the front and rear ends of the seat,coupling members carried on opposite sides of the back plate, waist andshoulder straps carried by the coupling members, means for connectingsaid straps to the abdominal plate, a supporting frame carried by theseat, and a propeller and operating means therefor carried by saidsupporting frame.

2. A swimming appliance comprising a seat, abdominal and back plateshinged respectiyely to'thefront and. rear ends of the seat, couplingmembers carried on opposite sides of the back plate, Waist and shoulderstraps carried by the coupling members, means for connecting said strapsto the abdominal plate, spaced tubular ars extending from the seat,rodstelescopically mounted in the outer ends of the bars, means forclampingthe bars around the rods, and a propeller and operating meanstherefor carried by the rods. 7

3. A swimming appliance comprising a seat, abdominal and back plateshinged respectively to the frontand rear ends of the seat, couplingmembers carried on opposite sides of the back plate, Waist and shoulderstraps carried by the coupling members, means for connecting said strapsto the abdominal plate, spaced tubular bars extend- 7 carried by therods.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LAZO MARICIGH.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

r Washington, D. G.

